Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Fess Parker's sister winery hits a savory home run with this blend of 62% Syrah and 38% Grenache, which presents game, leather, blackberry extract and sage on the nose. Purple fruit leads the palate, with dark chocolate on the midpalate and strong acidity and smooth tannins throughout.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More Syrah-dominated, the 2011 Revelation is 62% Syrah and 38% Grenache. Completely destemmed and aged 22 months in 36% new French oak, it offers classic Syrah notes of dark fruits, cedar, spice, charcoal and ripe herbs in its medium to full-bodied, pure and nicely structured personality. Possessing outstanding purity and a balanced, harmonious feel, it will evolve nicely for another 4-6 years.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.